A significant defeat for the Zionist lobby?
An important red line was crossed by those veterans of the diplomatic, political, and military establishments who dared to go public with their criticism and condemnation of the campaign by the Zionist lobby (and its neo-con associates) to demonize Hagel.
That crossing put the issue of America’s “special relationship” with Israel on the agenda for open debate. As Raimondo noted: “That has never happened before. The issue of Israel was always considered to be beyond debate, the most recent example of this uniformity of opinion being the last presidential debate between Obama and Romney in which the candidates spent a great deal of time competing with each other to see who could be more effusive in their undying support for the Jewish state.” (I do wish Raimondo and others would stop using the term “Jewish state”. How could it be that when one nearly one quarter of its citizens are Arab and mainly Muslim? Israel is a Zionist state).
In an op-ed for the New York Times, Roger Cohen was refreshingly honest about the need for debate. He wrote:
“President Obama’s decision to nominate Chuck Hagel, a maverick Republican with enough experience of war to loathe it, as his next secretary of defense is the right choice for many reasons, chief among them that it will provoke a serious debate on what constitutes real friendship toward Israel. That debate, which will unfold during Senate confirmation hearings, is much needed because Jewish leadership in the United States is often unrepresentative of the many American Jews who have moved on from the view that the only legitimate support of Israel is unquestioning support of Israel, and the only mark of friendship is uncritical embrace of a friend.”
If Jewish Americans in growing numbers end their silence on Israel’s behaviour (as a non-Jew I can say criminal behaviour) and participate in open debate, there will then be a real prospect of transforming the Zionist lobby’s temporary defeat into a permanent one.
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#PALESTINE NEWS | Jan 11, 2013 | Occupied Palestine | فلسطين:
January 11th, 2013 at 11:16 am
[...] A significant defeat for the Zionist lobby? – Alan Hart http://www.alanhart.net/a-significant-defeat-for-the-zionist-lobby/#.UO_Knxgn5Fo.twitter [...]
Rehmat:
January 12th, 2013 at 3:34 am
Hagel’s problem with Jews is not that he hates Jews or Israel – but because he refuses to take orders from Israel or the AIPAC. Bret Stephens in the Israel hasbara media outlet Wall Street Journal called Hagel antisemite because Hagel used the term “Jewish Lobby” in a conversation with Aaron David Miller, the former Middle East negotiator who doesn’t hide either his Jewishness or his support for the Zionist entity. Hagel, though, has been against US invasion of Iraq but believes that Bush was driven by the “oil Lobby” and not by the Israel-Firsters in his administration. Hagel is for military budget cuts and believe a war with Iran would be against the national interests of the United States.
Making a statement such as “the Israel lobby controls US foreign policy” is not antisemitic. These sentiments have been articulated by many Jews in the past and have credible evidence to support them, including admissions by the chief Israel lobby in America, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). The former President of AIPAC, David Steiner, was actually caught on tape admitting as such. When AIPAC sends a letter demanding that Congressmen support a particular position, most immediately sign it. Almost every major US politician over the last 3 decades has attended the annual AIPAC conference on more than one occasion, and AIPAC’s own website even used to boast about how many pieces of legislation it was responsible for.
http://rehmat1.com/2013/01/12/israel-and-the-iranian-threat/
maryam:
January 12th, 2013 at 10:05 am
For once, an important domestic issue has taken precedence over the zionist lobby’s dictates. While the US is busy reducing its military budget, I hope it also rethinks its commitment to Israel. That $3 billion a year could be much better spent on, say, poor kids in America, citizens without health insurance, or environmental concerns. Bad enough that those Israeli murderers think they have the right to decide who should be in the POTUS’ cabinet (or who the POTUS should even be, for that matter) but they’re so damn arrogant that they do so while filling their pockets with US taxpayers’ money.
Bob:
January 12th, 2013 at 12:00 pm
The people behind the Zionists have impoverished America so much with their economic as well as political mismanagement (and lined their own pockets too with taxpayer dollars) they have effectively Killed the Goose that layed the Golden Egg. This is quite a turning point as before Israeli interests have always been before American interests.
maryam:
January 12th, 2013 at 12:13 pm
Obama signed off in 2010 to make the $3 billion go to Israel for 10 years, come hell or high water. Nothing can be done about that, but it can be stopped in 2020 and not renewed. The US can also stop throwing other military and “security” prezzies to Israel, including paying for that wall being built to keep Syria away. Why is America, with its millions of homeless and millions without health insurance, throwing money at something that isn’t going to benefit Americans???
Michael Kenny:
January 12th, 2013 at 4:07 pm
I have always believed that the only way to defeat the Lobby was to make the US useless to Israel. As long as sufficient US economic and military power remains to prop up Israel and give it the infamous “blank cheque”, the Lobby will continue to flood US politicians, journalists and academics with vast sums of money. Once US power has declined beyond that point, the Lobby will be wasting its money and will just drop the US like a used paper handkerchief. And US power is indeed declining. Two lost wars which Obama is now winding down. The mother of all defecits which will sooner or later undermine the dollar. And an ageing population that is increasingly scared of needing medical tretament it can’t pay for. And the only way to continue funding Medicare is to cut “useless” defence spending. Mr Hart can take the question mark out of his title!
Nels WightMost Hon. Alan Hart:
January 12th, 2013 at 4:35 pm
Most Hon. Alan Hart – I, as of nearly the vintage of your father, am compelled to commend on all your views I’ve so far perused. As you present the slant of Brooks (whom I don’t usually agree with) I must agree that your judgment of what he essays, is, in my opinion, quite valid…he offers positions which are worthy of consideration.
Dennis (Justin) Raimondo, whom I follow and trust nearly as much as Ron Paul does, seems quite on point. He thinks well and his opinions are decidedly often mine.
I’m quite grateful to read your site(blogs).
pete:
January 12th, 2013 at 5:02 pm
Chuck Hagel is probably the only real American in all of congress and the senate. Supporting Israel is one thing groveling is another.We literally grovel every time that fat slob Netanhooha opens his lying mouth. Let Israel send their own sons and daughters to fight and die for their bullshit wars,and I am sure all those lackey U.S. senators and congressmen will gladly volunteer their sons to fight on the front lines for Israel. Yeah,when rats piss grape juice.
Ronald D. Kennedy:
January 14th, 2013 at 5:57 pm
A significant defeat for the zionest lobby. Is a significant sickening statment on its face.
Hagel is an honorable Statesmen in our Government, with equally proud and gallant service in a, past political war, not of his making. To have this politically orientated religious lobby doing the biding in supporting a one religion religious raciest Government of today’s israel, with American Tax Dollars. As it sucks the money out of the pockets of all American tax payers, is the real disgrace. On all Congressmen & Senetors who have in the past and now felt they had to support it with there vote. And the actions taken with these Dollars, which our Laws of freedom in our country, for all Citizens of any religion our no religious belief, our color. Would not be tolerated. In our Court’s Nation wide.
It’s long past time to stop sending our American Tax Dollars, to any Country who dose note protect Freedom’s and rule of law for all people within there border’s. Also country’s like israel who have a developed Nuclear weapons’s, and delivery system who still have not declared it, are in violation of our Federal law now. And have no right to any Foreign Aid. Till they meet American Law.
Regarding the Iran issue, since Iran fell’s threatened by the israel military “undeclared” nuclear tactical weapon’s. Why not put Patriot missile batteries on the Iranian border’s pointing towards the nuclear weapon threat of iserial, with the warning that any nuclear weapons attack on Iran by israel. There would be retaliation by American weapons fired at iserial ?
OH that right the Crazy’s have no Nuclear Weapons.
Ronald Douglas Kennedy